All About Vietnam

Vietnam actively eliminates super greenhouse gases

August 15, 2013

(VEN) – In the past few decades, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds, which are derived solely from operations in industrial refrigeration; polyurethane foam industry; the manufacturing of liquid laundry detergent, paint, and fire extinguishers, have been considered as the major destroyer of the ozone layer, and a contributory factor in causing climate change.

Super greenhouse gases pose a major question for Vietnam

Threat from super greenhouse gases

In order to write off the CFC threat, the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1989 as part of efforts to limit and gradually eliminate CFC compounds from use.

Unfortunately, CFC compounds have generated hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), a by-product during the production of HCFC-22 new chemicals to replace CFCs, mainly used in air conditioning and refrigeration. According to data recently released by the US-based International Institute of Sustainable Development, HFCs would contribute the equivalent of 20 percent of CO2 per year to global warming by 2050.

Many of the signatory countries to the Montreal Protocol have proposed amendments to cut HFCs via changing refrigerant technology to remove and prevent HFC-23 from escaping into the environment.

Vietnam signed the Montreal Protocol in January 1994 and successfully removed 500 tonnes of CFCs, and 3.8 tonnes of halon as of January 2010. However, during the 2009-2010, it still used 3,200 tonnes of HCFC-22, 500 tonnes of HCFC-141b, and 7,000 tonnes of polyol with HCFC-141b.

Vietnam strives for HCFC elimination

Vietnam is currently drafting a project on the elimination of HCFC from now until 2030, the first phase of the project will be implemented from late 2012 to 2017 with US$10 million provided by the Multilateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The goal of the phase is to eliminate 500 tonnes of pure HCFC-141b in 12 eligible businesses involved in the insulation foam technology project through the replacement of the entire cyclopentane using HCFC-141b with technology harmless to the ozone layer; and 800 tonnes of HCFC-141b which is a ready mixed polyol as part of preparation for reducing the production of air conditioners using HCFC-22.

These 12 eligible businesses will receive 80-90 percent discounts on the cost of the technological transfer expenses, worth up to US$9.7 million for the first phase of the project. The second phase will be prepared in 2014 and 2015 and deployed in 2017, with a view to eliminate HCFC by 2030 in accordance with the commitments outlined in the Montreal Protocol.

The second phase of the project will be up for financing by 2015. It is estimated that Vietnam will need from US$20-25 million to fully eliminate HCFCs.

Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued the Joint Circular 47 providing regulations for the management of import, export and temporary import for export of ozone depleting substances.

Yearly import quotas will be applied from January 1, 2012 until December 31, 2019 for each HCFC group. For example, the import quota for HCFC-141b in 2012 was 500 tonnes, 300 tonnes in 2013 and 150 tonnes in 2014. For other HCFCs, the import quotas were 3,700 tonnes in 2012, 3,400 tonnes in 2013, 3,700 tonnes in 2014, and during the 2015-2019 period 3,600 tonnes per year. Import quotas for HCFCs after 2019 will be updated based on HCFC elimination results./.

Bao Viet Insurance Corporation and FLC Group signed a contract to launch FLC care insurance package for its staffs. — Photo courtesy of FLC
Bao Viet Insurance Corporation will provide a VND1.5 billion insurance package for more than 5,000 employees of the FLC Group in the 2017-18 period.
According to the contract signed by the two sides in Ha Noi on Wednesday, Bao Viet will continue to provide the FLC Care insurance package to ensure FLC’s welfare policies for its employees continue.
FLC’s employees and their families will enjoy comprehensive insurance policies for risks, accidents, illness and maternity, with flexible fees and regular healthcare checks at leading hospitals in Viet Nam.
This is the third consecutive year that FLC has signed the contract with Bảo Viẹt as one of the ways to retain staff members, leading to sustainable development in the market.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nguyẽn Quang Hung, Bảo Viẹt Insurance Corporation’s deputy general director, said the firm has continuously provided insurance packages for businesses that are focused on investing in their human resources. Firms, therefore, would have many choices in welfare policies.
FLC has acknowledged that human resources is the main factor for its success and sustainable growth.
The group has implemented several welfare policies to maintain its human resources. — VNS
... [read more]

With the aim of building a dialogue channel for Vietnamese and Taiwanese green energy industries, as well as supporting Taiwanese companies to develop the Vietnamese green energy market, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh Branch (VCCI-HCM) recently collaborated with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) to host the Conference on Green Energy Insights: Vietnam-Taiwan Trends and Development.”
Speaking at the conference, Madam Karen Ma, Director of the Green Trade Project Office, Taiwan, said, in many Asian countries like India, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, using green energies, including solar energy, is highly recommended and seen as an effective solution to ensure national and regional energy security. In particular, these countries have also developed complete legal frameworks to provide a solid foundation for green energy development in the future. “While energy demands in developing countries are increasing and non-renewable energy sources are costlier and more environment-polluting, investing in green energy development in general and solar power development in particular is considered to be indispensable and sustainable direction,” she stressed.
Taiwan has extensive experience in green energy and can fully use this strength to help Vietnam to harness its abundant green energy potential by introducing advanced green energy technologies to develop green energies and renewable energies in Vietnam, thus enabling Vietnam to achieve the goals of the Green Energy Strategy and implement international commitments for sustainable development, said Karen Ma.
Sharing her experience in developing green energy industries, she said, “The core…... [read more]

The 250 participants were parliamentarians, government officials, experts, researchers and businesspersons from the APEC economies and international organisations.
The forum took place on the sidelines of the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings.
Chairing the event’s opening session, Vietnamese Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said population change is currently one of the biggest demographic changes in the world with the rapid growth rate of old people, generating major opportunities and challenges and impacting all economic and social aspects of each country, community and family.
The forum allowed policy makers, management officials, scientists and relevant parties to seek solutions and concrete and practical actions to invest in dynamic and healthy aging towards sustainable development in each economy and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
Keizo Takemi, a member of Japan’s House of Councillors and Chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, said population aging has become a regional issue that needs close cooperation among multiple parties to work out solutions and actions.
The forum provided a chance for economies to promote cooperation in carrying out multilateral solutions and public-private partnerships to build a healthcare network for the elderly and help improve life expectancy and health, so that the elderly can continue to work and ease the economic burden on younger people.
The APEC economies account for 40.5% of the global population, nearly 50 percent of which are the elderly. Most of the APEC members are…... [read more]

Sustainability is no longer an ambiguous concept but it is closely tied to each activity of the business. Wherein, corporate governance is defined as a core element to ensure effective growth and long-term sustainable development for each business.
According to a report released by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in 2014, the medium score of corporate governance in Vietnam was 35.1, much lower than that in Thailand (84.5), Malaysia (75.2), Singapore (70.7) or Indonesia (57.3). In 2015, Vietnam had no presence in the Top 50 best-governed listed companies in ASEAN. This included only listed companies - more advanced ones in the economy. And, if unlisted companies were taken into account, the picture of corporate governance would have been worse.
Explaining this reality, Mr Phan Duc Hieu, Vice Chairman of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), said, the first and foremost reason lies in the perception and low awareness of businesses about roles and importance of corporate governance. Even though many are operating without a corporate charter or corporate governance code. This is the reason for the inversion of corporate development scale to corporate governance level. If an expanding company is badly governed, its operations will not be sustainable. At the same time, they will never be the apple of the eye of foreign investors when they consider investment.
In fact, corporate governance plays a very important role in sustainable corporate development. Accordingly, good corporate governance will help mobilise capital easily and particularly help…... [read more]

Representatives of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies discussed investment in dynamic and healthy aging for sustainable growth at a multilateral forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15.
The 250 participants were parliamentarians, government officials, experts, researchers and businesspersons from the APEC economies and international organisations.
The forum took place on the sidelines of the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings.
Chairing the event’s opening session, Vietnamese Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said population change is currently one of the biggest demographic changes in the world with the rapid growth rate of old people, generating major opportunities and challenges and impacting all economic and social aspects of each country, community and family.
The forum allowed policy makers, management officials, scientists and relevant parties to seek solutions and concrete and practical actions to invest in dynamic and healthy aging towards sustainable development in each economy and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
Keizo Takemi, a member of Japan’s House of Councillors and Chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, said population aging has become a regional issue that needs close cooperation among multiple parties to work out solutions and actions.
The forum provided a chance for economies to promote cooperation in carrying out multilateral solutions and public-private partnerships to build a healthcare network for the elderly and help improve life expectancy and health, so that the…... [read more]

NDO/VNA – Representatives of the 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies discussed investment in dynamic and healthy aging for sustainable growth at a multilateral forum opened in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15.
The 250 participants were parliamentarians, government officials, experts, researchers and businesspersons from the APEC economies and international organisations.
The forum took place on the sidelines of the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and in other related meetings.
Chairing the event’s opening session, Vietnamese Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien stated that population change is currently one of the biggest demographic changes in the world with the rapid growth rate of old people, generating major opportunities and challenges impacting all economic and social aspects of each country, community and family.
The forum allowed policy makers, management officials, scientists and relevant parties to seek solutions and concrete on practical actions to invest in dynamic and healthy aging towards sustainable development in each economy and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
Keizo Takemi, a member of Japan’s House of Councillors and Chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development stated that population aging has become a regional issue that requires close cooperation among multiple parties to work out solutions and actions.
The forum provided a chance for economies to promote cooperation in carrying out multilateral solutions and public-private partnerships to build a healthcare network for the elderly and help increase life expectancy and improve the health of all citizens, so that the elderly…... [read more]

A DAP-funded project to provide helmets for pupils at Nguyen Trai primary school in the northern province of Ha Giang last year (Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy)
Hanoi (VNA) - The
Australian Embassy will begin on August 15 accepting applications for its
Direct Aid Programme (DAP) grant round 2017-18 for projects in northern Vietnam,
which covers provinces north of, and including, the central province of Thua
Thien-Hue.
Small grants of up to 60,000 AUD
(47,000 USD) are available to NGOs, community groups and other not-for-profit
organisations to undertake small-scale development projects focusing on the
economic empowerment of disadvantaged communities and groups.
In the year 2017-18, Hanoi DAP
will prioritise higher value projects and projects which take an innovative
approach to a longstanding development challenge.
DAP is a small-grant programme funded by
Australia’s foreign aid budget. It has the flexibility to work with local
communities in developing countries on projects that reduce poverty and achieve
sustainable development consistent with Australia’s national interest.
DAP projects cover a range of sectors,
such as education, health, water and sanitation, environmental protection,
women’s empowerment and gender equality, supporting people with disabilities,
economic livelihoods, food security and human rights.
The DAP in northern Vietnam is an
extremely competitive programme. Applications must meet the requirements
detailed in the DAP guidelines and comply with the requirements in the
application form.
The deadline for submitting applications
(online) is September 29.
Meanwhile
the Australian Consulate General in HCM City…... [read more]

NDO – The Chi Lang Custard Apple Festival took place for the first time in the northern province of Lang Son on August 11-12, with the aim of advertising the locality’s famous fruit specialty to both domestic and international markets.
The two-day event featured 52 pavilions, including 32 booths set up by businesses and economic organisations from within the province and beyond, and the remaining 20 pavilions representing communes and towns in custard apple cultivation regions across Lang Son.
The festival provided a platform to connect farmers, businesses, scientists and managers, whilst attracting investment in agriculture, thus creating a value chain for the Chi Lang custard apple, whilst working towards sustainability.
A series of events were held as part of the festival in order to facilitate the consumption of other products, such as a forum promoting the vegetable and fruit trade between Vietnam and China, a scientific workshop on the sustainable development of safe custard apple cultivation regions in Chi Lang district, the signing of agreements on farm produce purchase and consumption between commercial companies, and field trips to custard apple cultivation areas and historical relic sites in Chi Lang.
According to Hoang Van Hung, one of the outstanding custard apple farmers in Chi Lang district, the festival was very useful for custard apple growers, as through the event, farmers had the chance to exchange experience in custard apple cultivation, as well as to receive effective support from scientists, the authorities and enterprises, helping to ensure…... [read more]

NDO – Promoting hi-tech solutions whilst improving product quality is the key to the sustainable development of Vietnam's livestock industry, in the integration period, experts have suggested.
The issues were under discussion at an agricultural extension forum organised by the National Agricultural Extension Centre under Department of Livestock Production (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, on August 11.
Reports presented at the forum showed that the domestic livestock industry has developed strongly in recent times and has diversified the types of livestock to better serve consumer demand and exports. The noteworthy results are that of pig heads, which have increased by 13% each year and cows more than 6%; of which, the southern region’s livestock and poultry production accounts for over 25% of the country’s total.
According to Ha Thuy Hanh, Deputy Director of the National Agricultural Extension Centre, breeding plays a strategic role in the development of the country's agricultural sector. At present, in order to promote the role of animal husbandry in the market economy in general, the application of high technologies and the introduction of technical advances to improve the quality of products, increase productivity and output of the livestock industry in order to meet market demand, is crucial.
Recently, enterprises and farmers have applied hi-tech in the breeding and processing of livestock products through effective new models and practices. Up to date, 29 hi-tech agricultural complexes have been put into operation or are being…... [read more]

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the health
sector to continue improving the quality of human resources and focusing on
improving medical ethics, while enhancing the quality of the country’s
population.
The
Prime Minister chaired a meeting of key cabinet members on August 9 to consider
three development proposals from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home
Affairs and Ministry of Planning and Investment, which will later be submitted
to the Party Central Committee.
Commenting
on a proposal regarding the protection, care and improvement of people’s health
and population, presented by the Ministry of Health, PM Phuc stressed the need
to learn from the progress and achievements made in the region and the world so
as to catch up with advanced technology and services.
“The
Government is responsible for taking care of people’s health and this is a
consistent view,” PM Phuc said, adding that it was necessary to boost resources
for the sector.
"We,
with current human resources, can attract foreign patients to Vietnam for
healthcare. But on the contrary, we spend a lot of money going abroad for
medical treatment,” he noted and emphasised the need for mechanisms to build
modern medical centres that can meet international standards.
The PM
also noted issues such as health programmes for the poor and other vulnerable
groups, the roadmap for market-based health services and the creation of a
competitive business investment environment for the health…... [read more]